Two Sides of Midnight
by Hagar
Summary: NS, slash. Written for the PRSW challenge. Nighttime: time for things too tender for the daylight. Nighttime: when nightmares come out to play.
1. Animals

_1. This story is written for the Power Rangers Slash Write challenge. You can find the rules for this challenge, and all fics written for it, at the Livejournal community prsw22. Link available on my profile page._

_2. This story set near the end of "Return of Thunder"._

_**Love:** to Roie, friend and beta._

_Enjoy, and please review!_

_

* * *

Jeez, can he be any more tense?_ thought Shane, gazing irritably at Hunter. The Crimson Ranger was leaning with his back against Ninja Ops' wall, arms crossed across his chest and shoulder hunched, tense as hell. Shane, sitting against the opposite wall, loosely holding one knee, found Hunter's attitude annoying. Blake seemed perfectly at home, sitting with Tori by the low table, chatting, every now and then turning to tease Dustin who, for his part, was hanging with Cam by the main console. Blake sure didn't look like someone who was nearly killed a few hours ago, and by his brother's hands, no less.

_His brother's hands._ That made Shane rethink the situation. Was it the Wind Rangers' presence that made Hunter so obviously uncomfortable – or was it something internal?

Shane's musing was cut short by Dustin – leaning over the shoulder of a surprisingly patient Cam – suddenly asking aloud "Dude, what kind of a name for a Zord is Insectizord?"

Hunter's head snapped up; Blake and Tori's conversation ceased.

"You've got a problem with my Zord?" demanded Hunter, eyes leaving his brother and Tori and locking on Dustin.

Knowing trouble when he saw it, Shane let go of his knee and sat a little straighter. The frosty anger in Hunter's eyes would've made most people duck for cover or quell where they stood, but Dustin wasn't one to be intimidated by death glares.

"I'm just saying", he said, smiling at Hunter, perfectly unaware of the danger he was in, "the rest of us have actual animals for Zord, right? Not just the Winds – Blake, too. So why are you different?"

"That's a good question, actually" said Cam. Shane shifted into a half-crouch, getting ready to move at as short a notice as possible. Hunter looked ready to snap, and Shane didn't want anyone hurt today more than they already were. Cam should've been smarter than that, and Shane had no idea what he was thinking, asking for trouble like that. Couldn't he _see_ Hunter?

"It is indeed a curious question", agreed Sensei.

Hunter's eyes shifted, moving from Dustin across the room, towards Sensei in his habitat cart – and then beyond it, focusing on Shane's. Shane almost reeled at the intensity of that stare. _Breathe_, he told himself sternly. _Don't let him know he's getting to you_.

"It would seem that the animals of your Zords represent aspects of your true nature", continued Sensei, oblivious to the staring contest taking place literally over his head, "aspects that are relevant to your function as Rangers"

"Really?" asked Tori curiously. "You never mentioned that before, Sensei"

"The subject has never come up", answered Sensei graciously, inclining his head.

Hunter finally broke contact, eyes suddenly dropping to the floor. Shane's brows furrowed. _He knows_, he thought suddenly, pushing himself to his feet at the realization. _Hunter already knows, and he doesn't want us to know_.

"So why doesn't Hunter have a normal Zord like the rest of us?" asked Dustin.

Hunter was still looking at the floor, arms now open and resting against the wall. _Ready to push himself away_, thought Shane.

"It would seem the name of Hunter's Zord refers to a trait common to many kinds of insects, thus the generalized name". Couldn't Sensei ever say anything straight and to the point? "I am speaking of social insects, and the trait of utter loyalty"

Tori and Cam both straightened, perfectly alert, now; Dustin was leaning forward; Blake turned pale as a sheet. Shane didn't notice any of these reactions, though. Hunter, who'd been standing not far from the stairs all this while, had bolted up and out, and Shane had every intention of following.

He'd nearly slammed into Blake who, apparently, had the same intention.

"Let me", said Shane.

"He's my brother", said Blake. "I should go after him"

Shane hesitated, almost stepping aside. Allowing Blake to follow Hunter right now seemed just wrong. "Do you think he's ready?" he asked finally.

"What do you mean?" demanded Blake.

"Blake". Tori came up behind him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Blake turned to face her. "He's still hurting about today. Maybe Shane's right. Maybe talking to you about it, right now, is still too close"

"Tori has a point", agreed Cam.

Blake hesitated, obviously torn. He turned his head towards Shane again, and Shane was struck by how much Blake was Hunter's brother. It hadn't quite occurred to him until that moment. There was very little similar between the two. But now Blake's eyes were boring into Shane's, every bit as calculating as Hunter's, even if not as intense.

Blake nodded once, tersely. "Take good care of my brother", he said, and Shane had the feeling that his words carried more meaning than the obvious. He didn't dwell on it, though, but simply said: "I will" before running out, following Hunter.

* * *

Hunter didn't go far, much to Shane's relief – and concern. He'd expected Hunter to ran as fast and as far away as he could.

Hunter didn't move, didn't so much as bat an eyelash as Shane approached him, and it made Shane all the more wary. Hunter was standing at the edge of the crater where the Academy's main building once was, staring at the sky. The total lack of tension in his posture was one more reason for Shane to worry. He slowed his approach.

Sunset was in full bloom, the shadows deep. The little light that fell on Hunter was exactly the same shade as his shirt, making the messy blond hair seem bloodstained, accenting the shadows under his eyes. Shane's heart constricted. These shadows weren't as visible in the fluorescent light in Ninja Ops. Now, though, bathed in the light of the dying day, the sight of Hunter, so obviously suffering, made Shane want to throw a right hook to Lothor's face.

He was standing right next to Hunter, now, and any words he may have wanted to say faded away. He'd never felt this helpless before, not even when Mad Magnet's blade was pressed against his neck.

"Would you please say it and get it over with?"

"Say what?"

Hunter turned to him. His eyes were red, and it wasn't just the light. "That I failed; that if the Crimson Zord means loyalty, than I should've never had that Zord"

"Don't say nonsense"

"Come on", sneered Hunter, but the sneer wasn't aimed at Shane, but at Hunter himself. "Lothor snapped his fingers, and I succumbed to the spell like _that_!" Hunter snapped his fingers for effect.

"No, you didn't", replied Shane hotly. "You fought it, and we all saw it"

"Yeah, right. That's why it took all day to break through the damn spell, right?"

"It took all day because, in case you failed to notice it, Lothor's pretty damn powerful. We're talking the man who wiped whole academies from the face of the Earth, man!"

"I still should've been able to fight it!" shouted Hunter, waving one arm towards the sun. "I should've…" His voice cracked, and he looked away.

The instinct was so overwhelming, the realization so powerful, so physical, that for a split second Shane felt he was falling. It wasn't – it couldn't be – but it had to be: this was why he responded to Hunter so powerfully, why he was so aware of him from the moment they first saw each other in Storm Chargers. Pushing aside what he couldn't yet handle, he quenched down the instinct, only reaching for Hunter's shoulder. Hunter spun around wildly with a punch aimed for Shane's face, but tears and exhaustion slowed him enough for Shane to catch his arm and pull him close.

"Don't you dare", he whispered into Hunter's ear, as Hunter struggled to break away. "Don't you fucking dare do this to yourself, you hear me?"

"Let go", hissed Hunter.

"The hell I would". His voice was low and hoarse, but Shane was pretty sure that Hunter would never guess the real reason for that. After all, Shane could hardly believe it himself. "Being alone is the last thing you need right now, whether you're going to admit it or not"

"Don't…"

"You listen to me", growled Shane. "That spell got such a nasty hold of you precisely because loyalty's so important to you". He had no idea where the words were coming from, but now that he said them, he knew them to be true, and he knew exactly what to say. "Why do you think Lothor's focused his control on making you think Blake betrayed you, huh? Why do you think was that? Lothor's insane, but he's no idiot. He knew that'd hurt you the most 'cause that what you care about the most. And you know what, Hunter? You proved yourself, because ultimately you broke free. So don't go telling yourself you're not loyal enough, because you _are_"

Hunter stopped struggling sometime during Shane's speech. He was still tense, ready to bolt, but he was letting Shane hold him, his fingers unconsciously digging through Shane's clothes and into his flesh.

"You hear me?" asked Shane. His lips grazed Hunter's hair as he spoke.

"Yeah", said Hunter into Shane's shoulder, "I hear you". He made a noise that could've just as easily been a chuckle or a sob. "I didn't know Hawks were capable of compassion"

"Yeah, well", muttered Shane. _Compassion has nothing to do with this_. "I guess surprise is the word of the day"


	2. Safety

_1. Set in the night following "Samurai's Journey"._

_2. **Love:** to Roie, friend and beta._

_3. Enjoy, and please review!_

* * *

Hunter's eyes snapped open, breath catching in his throat as he woke. _Shit_, he thought, and then: _move. I have to move_. Moving was the only way to break the hold of a dream – he'd learned that the hard way, and it was true even when the nightmare he was trying to avoid didn't contain the inability to move. Now it was extra important. The mattress was soft, warm, just as the grass had been… Hunter forced himself to open his eyes. He had almost fallen asleep again, and he couldn't afford that. _No point trying to turn over_, he figured, and aimed for the lesser goal of moving his hand to pull down the blanket. No success. He just couldn't move. Sleep paralysis held him better than chains ever could. _Not tonight_, he thought, mouth dry. _Tonight will be extra bad_. It happened, sometimes, that he couldn't break through. That he had to fall into whatever dream that woke him, and experience it to its end. But after everything that had happened that day, Hunter just couldn't face that. Lying helpless in bed, he didn't feel like he could.

Panic gave him enough force to lick his lips, and then bite the lower one. It was easier once he managed any form of movement, limited as it was. He started from his facial muscles, gingerly tested his neck, and then tried moving his arm again. This time it worked, and he managed to pull down the blanket a bit, letting the night air cool him off. His pulse was too fast and his breath too heavy, but he wasn't sweating just yet. It wasn't much, but that was just about all that he had to hold on to. He tried his shoulders and then, slowly, twisted and flipped on his other side. The sigh of relief was involuntary. The sight of Blake, sleeping on his mattress across the room, reminded Hunter that he should keep quiet. There was no reason for both of them to lose sleep.

Lying down wasn't going to cut it, Hunter realized after a moment. He'd woke up from nightmares too many times that night – he'd lost count after the fifth time – and now just lying in place was enough to make images play in front of his eyes, so clear and vivid that they almost bloke the reality of the messy one-room apartment, and his brother sleeping. Hunter swung up into a sitting position in one movement, and then paused and waited for his vision to clear. The blackout wasn't a good sign. It meant he was going to show signs of how tired he really was the next morning, and that could get him in trouble. _Or, if I'm lucky, I'm just dehydrated_. He silenced the snort. _Yeah. Me, lucky: Lothor would be giving lap dances before that ever happens_. Still, it was worth a shot. Hunter stood up as slowly as he could – getting up too fast would mean blacking out and falling down – and walked to the kitchen, making sure not to step on any discarded clothes or items, and touching the wall for extra balance. It was just a short distance but by the time he rested his elbows on the kitchen counter, Hunter was sure that this time either he was dehydrated, or the constant lack of sleep had finally gotten to him.

He hadn't slept whole night through since the Academy was attacked.

He raised one arm from the counter, rubbed his eyes, and reached for the first glass he could find. It was a nice surprise when his fingers easily closed around the glass – apparently the sleep paralysis has completely worn off, despite its initial persistence. He lifted his other arm from the counter and opened the tap. The glass slipped from his hand when it was about third-full. _Good thing it's plastic_, he thought as he fished it from the sink and washed it briefly before refilling. _Just what I need, picking up glass shards_. He sipped the water slowly.

Blake moved uneasily in his sleep.

_Is he dreaming too?_ Hunter wondered. The power loss they experienced today has had to make its mark on all of them, not just on Hunter. It was just too powerful an experience.

Blake muttered something that Hunter couldn't decipher.

_Yeah_, thought Hunter, _definitely a nightmare_. He turned back to the sink and refilled his glass. He'd wake Blake, but then he'd have to explain what _he_ was doing up, and Blake would not accept bullshit. Hunter couldn't lie to Blake: Blake always knew when Hunter was lying, or hiding part of the truth. If he'd wake Blake now, he'd have to confess to all of his nightmares, and he didn't feel ready to do that. Blake didn't need to know.

Blake sighed and relaxed into the mattress. Hunter nodded to himself, and looked away. _Why can't it be so easy for me, too?_

_Because you're hard on yourself, duh._

Hunter scowled as Shane's voice echoed in his mind. He just couldn't escape Shane, could he? Not even in the middle of the night and in the relative privacy of his own mind.

_You mind telling me why you're always there?_

_Someone should keep an eye of you._

_I can take care of myself, thanks._

_Yeah, that's why you're getting into as much trouble as the rest of the team put together._

_Are you going to follow Cam around, too?_

_He's Cam._

_Yeah, exactly. He got turned into a bug on his first day as a Ranger._

Hunter thought he saw the imaginary Shane tilting his head. _Good point_, he conceded. _He'd also kick my butt if I tried looking after him._

_And I can't?_

Hunter looked down, pretending not to hear the answer his mind whispered back at him with Shane's voice.

_Facts are, you don't._

He emptied his glass in one gulp and filled it for the third time. This time he managed to hold the half-full glass without dropping it. He leaned with his back against the counter, staring through the wall.

_What if I told Shane about the dreams?_

He dismissed the thought almost as soon as it formed. He didn't need that. He could, and would, get by. Shane was a mother hen, a poser and a general nuisance, and Hunter was not going to go to him for advice, or support. Even if Shane seemed to be there whenever Hunter turned his head.

_Are you stalking me?_

_Do you want me to?_

_What kind of an answer is that?_

_What kind of a question was that?_

Hunter put down the empty glass and rubbed his eyes again. _Would you please leave me be? I'm trying to fall asleep here_.

_If you're trying to fall asleep, what're you doing standing in the kitchen?_

Hunter pushed himself from the counter, glaring into the darkness_. Smartass._

_Nah, just smart._

_Poser._

_Look who's talking, Mr. I-wouldn't-look-out-of-place-on-a-catwalk._

Hunter pulled the blanket and set on the mattress. _I'm not going to argue with you._

Luckily, the imaginary Shane didn't answer. Hunter lay down. Lying down, unfortunately, seemed to be just what the dream images had been waiting for. Hunter opened his eyes, fists clenching. _Shit_, he thought to himself, and then added: _this was all your idea._

_You need to sleep._

_Yeah, and I'm not going to get any sleep like this_! He shouldn't have recalled the mental image of Shane. Now he could see the guy sitting on the edge of the mattress, looking down at Hunter sympathetically. _Want me to sing you a lullaby?_

_Like hell I do._

_I know some good ones._

_I'm sure you do._ Hunter closed his eyes and sighed. Fine. So he was stuck with Shane. Better Shane than the nightmares. Now he just needed a memory strong enough to keep the nightmares at bay…

_He was sitting at the shop's floor, tending to his bike, when he sensed a presence by the door. He raised his eyes, and found Shane leaning against the doorframe, holding two soda cans._

"_Want a soda?"_

"_Why not?"_

_Shane crossed the room, opened one of the cans and offered it to Hunter._

"_Thanks."_

"_No problem."_

_Shane didn't disappear with his soda, though, but leaned against one of the workbenches._

"_Got nowhere better to go?"_

_Shane shrugged. "Tori and Blake are watching TV"_

_Hunter grunted. Yeah, that would explain it. He loved his bro, but sometimes being around him and Tori together was just too much. He took another swig from his soda, put it down and picked up the wrench again. No reason not to keep at his work just because Shane was there._

_A few minutes passed in silence, and then, quite suddenly, Shane asked: "Your shoulder still bugging you?"_

_Hunter raised his head. "Huh?"_

"_Your shoulder", repeated Shane._

_He'd hurt his shoulder at a Kelzack scuffle earlier that day. Yes, it still hurt a bit. Funny that Shane would notice, though. "Yeah", he said. "No big deal."_

_Shane snorted and slid off the bench. "Mind if I have a look?"_

"_What do you mean?" asked Hunter, immediately suspicious._

"_Jeez, I'm not going to take your arm off". Shane settled behind Hunter. "I know what I'm doing."_

_Hunter made a face, but allowed Shane to prod his shoulder. Shane's touch was light, and didn't hurt at all. When Shane's hand passed closer to Hunter's neck, Hunter caught a faint fragrance. He reached and caught Shane's hand, pulling it over his shoulder. He turned Shane's hand palm-up and inspected it._

"_You using hand cream?"_

_"Yeah. Otherwise they'd be all chapped."_

"_Yeah, I know". Hunter felt Shane's palm again, just to make sure. The skin was perfectly smooth. "Mine's chapped anyway."_

"_Probably because you're messing around with your bike all the time."_

"_Guess so". He released Shane's hand, but Shane lingered a moment before pulling it back and continuing to massage Hunter's shoulder. Fleetingly, Hunter missed the feeling of Shane's warm weight leaning against his back, but it disappeared almost as soon as it appeared._

_Shane's thumbs were tracing lines against Hunter's shoulder blades, the fingers rubbing small circles against the top of his shoulder. Hunter gave up trying to work on his bike, and simply let his arms hang at the sides of his body, allowing himself to enjoy Shane's steady warmth_. You're good_, he wanted to say, or, _why are you doing this? _But saying anything seemed too awkward, and he said nothing, just closed his eyes, leaning a little into Shane's palms._

He was asleep in seconds, and slept soundly till morning.


	3. Sunset

_1. Written for PRSW challenge, link available on my profile or at the LiveJournal community prsw22._

_2. **Love:** for Roie, friend and beta._

* * *

Stars shone brightly in the ink-blue sky, visible through the branches. It was a beautiful, crisp evening. He was past the day's training session, and had no homework to do. He was at the skate ramp, and until a moment ago he was having a good time. Now, though, Shane was pissed off. _Some people_, he thought irritably, _never learn_. "Her name's Tori", he told Rob. He bit back his smile at the guy's involuntary step backwards. _Yeah, you'd **better** feel intimidated_.

"Dude, she's still a babe", said Rob. "You gotta be a fag not to notice it."

"Just don't try hitting on her", muttered Shane. "She'll break your nose". Then he got off the ramp's top as fast he could, before Rob could say another stupid comment that was would make Shane angry.

Tori was waiting for him at a short distance from the ramp. "What was that all about?" she asked. "I thought you were going to throw him off the ramp top."

"He was just being an idiot", said Shane. He looked back at the ramp. Rob was looking at them. "Can we leave now?"

"Sure", said Tori.

"So", she asked once they were out of sight – and of earshot – from the skating ramp.

Shane cut her off. "Why'd you drop by?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "What happened?" she asked. "You're really worked up over something."

"No, I'm not."

"Shane…" Tori shook her head. "Did I ever tell you that you're a sucky liar?"

_Only whenever I try to hide something from you_. "Okay. So he called you a babe."

"What's wrong with that? Do you disagree?"

"Hey!" Shane raised his arms – last thing he needed was Tori chewing him out about _that_ yet again. "That's not what it's about, okay? He's always calling you 'that babe', and he knows your name perfectly okay. It just irks me, that's all."

Tori's irritation faded - mostly. "I can pick my own fights", she told him. "But thanks, anyway."

"Yeah, no sweat." They walked in silence for a few more moments before Shane asked, "So, since when are you dropping by at the ramp when there isn't a demo and we're not late for anywhere?"

She shrugged. "Just came by to talk, I guess"

"Talk?"

"Yeah. We don't do that anymore"

"What do you mean? Of course we do. We hang together all time"

Tori shook her head. "Shane, we've know each other how long?"

"Since fourth grade", he answered promptly. "I nailed your braid to your chair, and you almost broke my nose for it"

Tori smiled at the memory. "So would you say I know you pretty well?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, you've been clammed up lately. I can't remember when was the last time you said something that wasn't about homework, or work, or Ranger-related. And, you talk all the time, you know?" She smiled a little, but her eyes were serious. "You had me distracted for a while."

Shane's hands were deep inside his pockets. "So?" he said nonchalantly. "There's been a lot going on."

"Exactly". She stopped, and put a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him, too. "We've know each other for half our lives, Shane, and I can't think of a single time you held something back from me. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on."

"Shane…" her tone was caring, but there was no mistaking the steel underneath. "Now I _know_ there's something you're not telling me."

"Yeah? How?"

"Because you're a lousy liar, which you should remember as I only told you that two minutes ago", she retorted.

_Now_ he was busted. Tori didn't know how to let go, and if she were certain that he was holding back on something, she wouldn't let go until she got him to tell her. Certain that anything he could say would be used against him, Shane just shook his head. Which may not have been the best idea, because now Tori was looking _seriously_ worried.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"But something's up."

"Kinda."

"And you don't want to tell me what it is."

"Right."

"How about talking to Sensei?"

Shane shook his head sharply. "No way."

"Hunter?"

"What?" _That_ took him off guard. "Where did that come from?"

She looked down. "Dustin's not exactly someone to discuss issues with", she admitted, "and you and Hunter seem to be getting along okay."

"You think?"

Her gaze snapped right back up, and the open palm on his shoulder turned into a finger jabbing into his chest. "This is about Hunter, isn't it?"

_Shit! And I can't tell her 'no' or she'll know it's a yes!_ "Why'd you think that?" he asked, hoping his voice was stable enough to fool her.

"Because you sounded hopeful when you asked that", she told him. "Like you weren't sure how you and Hunter are doing."

"You said yourself, everything's cool."

Her eyes narrowed. "No, it isn't, and it's about you and Hunter."

He was this close to just turning away, when Tori's shoulders suddenly slumped, both arms resting against her body. "I thought you trusted me", she said quietly.

"Hey". He touched her shoulder, carefully. "I do trust you, okay?" She just looked at him. She didn't say anything aloud, but her eyes said, clear as day: _Yeah?_ Shane sighed. "I'm still coming to terms with this myself, so I guess I'm just not yet ready to talk."

"Coming to terms with what? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You say that, but you're really defensive about it". She looked at him seriously. "You can't keep something that that's important to you a secret forever", she told him. "Maybe I noticed first, but I won't be the last. How long do you think until someone else notices, too?"

She was right. Shane shifted uncomfortably.

"I really can't think what you possibly wouldn't talk about", she said quietly. "It's not that we always talk about everything, but we're friends, and we're teammates: if you feel that there's something you can't talk about, it's just wrong."

"I guess I'm afraid", he said awkwardly, after a moment's pause.

She snorted. "Like I didn't figure that out already."

Another moment passed in silence.

"C'mon", she said. "I'm not going to let it go."

He'd considered talking to Tori, in the very first days of dealing. He'd really needed to talk to someone, then, but eventually he couldn't. He didn't know if Dustin's generally mellow approach to life stretched that far – not to mention that Dustin was on too good terms with Hunter and Blake, and didn't know how to keep his mouth shut; the same was applied to Tori – he had no way of anticipating her reaction, and she and Blake were too close for Shane's comfort.

Tori was right, though. Knowing something like this and not telling anyone was eating up at him. Maybe he could shake Tori off now, but sooner or later someone else would get on his case; not Dustin, but someone like Sensei, Cam or Blake – Hunter's brother was almost as perceptive as Tori.

Shane swallowed. Hard. "Tor… just you, okay?"

She didn't understand. "Okay."

"I mean it", he insisted. "No-one can know. Especially Blake."

"Well, duh, if it has to do with Hunter".

His hands, no longer in his pockets, clenched into fists. "Promise not to get mad at me?"

"As long as you didn't betray us to Lothor or something. Hey!" she protested at the Look he gave her. "You were being ridiculous first!"

"Don't go saying stuff like that", he muttered. "Okay". He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I…"

He had never thought how to actually explain.

"I think I'm…" He closed his eyes for a moment, and opened them again, looking right into Tori's eyes. "I'm not straight."

Tori blinked. "_That_ was the whole big deal?"

Shane's mouth dropped open.

"Okay, wrong way to put it", she said hastily. "But seriously, Shane, all this drama…" She paused. "I suspected, you know."

Now, that threw him for a loop. "What?"

"Ever since the entire Dill thing." She shrugged. "Friends since we were nine or not, you should have noticed me growing curves."

"Dustin didn't notice either," he had to point out.

"Dustin's generally oblivious. You're not. And…" she hesitated. "Guys look at girls, okay? Even if they don't specifically mean to check out a girl. You and Dustin see me in beachwear all the time. Dustin looks. You don't."

He didn't like how she made that sound. "Am I that obvious?"

"Lucky for you, I'm the only girl on the team", she offered with a smile. Then she hesitated for a moment. "So, Hunter?"

Shane closed his eyes again. "Yeah", he admitted quietly.

"Did you know… before?"

"No". He opened his eyes. "I didn't."

"Oh". She said it so quietly he barely heard it. "How long?"

He shrugged uncomfortably, looking away. "Remember when he ran out of Ninja Ops?"

It took her a moment, but she got it. "The day Lothor brainwashed Blake and Hunter? After it was all over, and we were hanging about Ninja Ops?"

"Yeah."

"That was _months_ ago". That seemed to disturb her. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"You're practically Blake's girlfriend", Shane pointed out. "Dustin's too talkative. And there was no way I was going to talk about something like that with anyone else on the team."

"Yeah", she agreed. "I should've thought about that." Another moment of silence. "Are you sorry for telling me?"

"Honestly? No."

"Want me to find out if Hunter's gay?"

"Tori!"

"What? He has too much fashion sense to be straight, you know!" She laughed at his horrified expression. "Seriously, Shane. I promised not to tell anyone, right?"

"Right. Don't you _ever_ scare me again like that."

"Shane, of course I wouldn't tell Blake - even if I hadn't promised. I do have some common sense – and we're friends."

"You're practically Blake's girlfriend."

"And that makes him more important than my other friends how, exactly?"

He just looked at her.

"There's more than one kind of love, Shane. Boyfriend or not, I'm not going to betray one person I love for another."

"You know", he said slowly, "I don't think I ever thought the world 'love' about anything outside my immediate family". Tori didn't interrupt him, thankfully, but rather waited for him to gather his thoughts. "I think I should've. What?" he added at Tori's odd expression.

She shook her head. "Nothing", she told him. "It just doesn't come as easy to some, I guess."

"Yeah", he agreed. "So… friends?"

She squeezed his hand. "Friends."


	4. Midnight

_1. Written for the PRSW challenge (livejournal community prsw22), link available on my profile page._

_2. This story set shortly after "Scent of a Ranger"._

_3. Warning: Hunter's nightmares are violent and disturbing._

_3. **Love:** to my wonderful friends and beta readers - Roie, Mara and Camille._

_Enjoy, and please review!

* * *

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* * *

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Brown eyes blazed with defiance as their owner struggled to break free. He couldn't: his windpipe was blocked – enough to make him weak and dizzy, preventing him from fighting at full strength, but not enough to make him lose consciousness. He was pressed between the sun-drenched rock and his captor, struggling – and losing. Defiance was now tempered with fear. The captor leaned closer, lips parted.

* * *

Hunter leaned against the building, instinctively hugging himself. It was winter, and he hadn't taken a sweatshirt when he ran out. Now he was standing, backed up against the wall, trying to still his mind enough to decide what to do next. Sometimes he took the bike to the beach when he needed to get away; sometimes he jogged for a while, returning only when he was almost too tired to stand. Tonight he couldn't bring himself to do either: the nightmare still lingered, refusing to let go now that he was awake. Or maybe he was still asleep, only dreaming that he was awake: it had happened before. Either way, he wasn't going inside.

It sounded just like leaves rustling on the sidewalk, but Hunter caught a hint of movement in his peripheral vision. His head snapped aside, eyes scanning the shadows between the buildings. "Who's there?" His voice sounded strange to his own ears. Someone stepped forward, revealing himself, and Hunter's eyes widened as he realized who it was. "What're you doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

Shane shrugged. "Trying to find out what you're doing here."

"I live here."

"You live up there." Shane pointed up, directly at Hunter and Blake's window. "It's two a.m., Hunter. You should be inside sleeping, not outside, jumping at things that go 'bump'."

Hunter could think of maybe ten possible retorts to that, and each and every one of them could get him in trouble. Shane was looking at him as if he was the only thing in the world, and Hunter knew that if he tried being smart now, Shane would see right through him. "How'd you even know I'm up?" he asked instead.

"Cybercam."

"Cybercam?" repeated Hunter.

"Yeah. He thought I should know." Shane stepped closer cautiously, as if afraid that Hunter would bolt if he approached too fast. "What's going on, Hunter?"

"Nothing," snapped Hunter. "I woke up and thought I'd catch a breather." He pushed himself away from the wall. "I think I'll go out for a walk," he muttered, "if that's alright with you."

"Sure," agreed Shane, falling into step with him. "Where are we going?"

"I didn't invite you."

"Too bad."

Hunter glared at him. Shane didn't seem impressed. "So where are we going?" he asked again.

"Around the block."

Shane didn't answer, and Hunter didn't volunteer any more words. They just walked in silence. Hunter's initial pace was fast, but he slowed considerably after only a few moments. It wasn't like he was trying to get away from something – or if he was, walking fast wouldn't help.

"Hey," said Shane suddenly, pointing across the road, "is that a bakery?"

"Yeah, it is."

"It's open."

"Bakeries are open at all sorts of weird hours."

"Cool." Shane glanced to the both sides, grabbed Hunter's arm and started crossing the road. "C'mon, let's get us something."

"Wha…?" Was he allowing Shane to drag him?

"Whatever they've got right now has got to be totally fresh out the oven. It's best that way."

Hunter wanted to tell Shane he wasn't making sense, but just then Shane pushed open the glass door. The smell of fresh pastries hit Hunter straight in the face, and he was inside, just one step after Shane, before he even realized what he was doing. It was warm inside, and well lit, and people's voices drifted from the back – like an alternate reality after the dark, cold quiet of the street. Hunter tried to shove his hands into his pockets, just to rediscover that these particular sweatpants had no pockets.

He shook his head, but the dizzy feeling didn't go away.

"Hey." Suddenly Shane was right in front of him, hand resting lightly on Hunter's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

The slight crease between Shane's brows told Hunter that he wasn't buying it. Shane's eyes found his, and Hunter started as the nightmare flashed, superimposed upon the present.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't eat anything for supper?"

He couldn't meet Shane's eyes. If he did, he might really run away, and it would be hell explaining it later. "I didn't," he muttered. "I wasn't hungry, okay?"

The soft huff told Hunter that Shane wasn't buying this, either.

"Hey." It was the counter guy. He was holding a paper bag and holder with two paper cups. Shane gave Hunter's shoulder a gentle squeeze, and turned to pick up the order.

The feeling of disorientation was back full-force the second Shane turned away. Perhaps he was awake, maybe he was dreaming; Hunter didn't know anymore. Things around him felt real, smelled real in a way that his dreams usually didn't, but the content made no sense. Why would Shane be here, in the middle of the night? Why would he be keeping Hunter company, or buying him hot chocolate that he hadn't asked for? It was a scary reality, and scarier as a dream.

He'd hoped that the disorientation would disappear with the first breath of cold air, once they were outside in the relative safety of the mostly-dark street, but instead it intensified. He sat down on the sidewalk next to Shane and accepted the hot paper cup without a word.

"You're not drinking," said Shane. Hunter glanced up; Shane was looking at him intently again. "It won't be any good cold."

"It's not going to get cold that fast."

"Hunter, you've been staring at that cup for…" Shane checked his watch "three whole minutes. Now do me a favour and drink, all right?"

Hunter took a sip and, seeing that Shane wasn't going to look away, another one. Shane just kept looking at him until he finished the hot chocolate; even then, he only looked away long enough to take two still-warm buns from the paper bag. Realizing that he wasn't going to get away from this one, Hunter took one.

Shane didn't say a word until they both finished eating. "So," he said, his voice slightly too casual, "want to tell me what's going on?"

Hunter considered and dismissed several different answers, before settling for "Not much."

"You mean except for the not sleeping and not eating thing?"

Yeah, Shane wasn't casual at all.

"You were way too pale earlier, and there was a moment in there -" he jerked his head towards the bakery "- when I thought you were going to pass out on me."

"What do you care?"

"I just do, all right?"

"No, not all right."

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything _from_ you. I'm trying to take _care_ of you."

"Well, don't."

"Tough luck."

Hunter almost wanted to get up and run away, just return to the apartment and ditch Shane, but he didn't: he continued to sit right where he was, staring back at Shane until Shane's expression melted and he reached a tentative hand for Hunter's shoulder. The touch was gentle, feather-light, as if Shane knew how close Hunter was to taking off. Hunter closed his eyes against the tenderness; maybe if he closed his eyes he could convince himself that… that what? Did he want this to be real, or just a dream?

_Like there's such a thing as 'just a dream'._

"Look, I'm sorry," Shane was saying awkwardly. "But I really do care, alright? And you're scaring me, here."

_Brown eyes, defiance tempered with fear…  
_**  
**Hunter was on his feet almost before he realized it. Images flashed, snapshots of dreams half-blinding him as he ran.

"Hunter!"

The shout brought him up short, like a physical leash. It was the tone of Shane's voice, the raw emotion – fear, yes, but fear for Hunter, not of him; and another fear, too – if Hunter turned away now he'd hurt Shane, and he found that he couldn't. If it was real, than he'd have to deal with Shane the morning after; and if it wasn't real…

Shane had approached him while Hunter was standing there, struggling with himself. Now he was standing right behind him, close enough that Hunter could hear him breathe, could almost feel his body heat radiating across the small distance.

"Hunter?" Tentative, disturbingly unsure. Hunter took a deep breath and forced himself to turn, his eyes closed so that he wouldn't risk meeting Shane's gaze. The dream was still too raw. His nails dug into his palms. Shane's breath came out in a hiss. "Damn," he said, "just how messed up are you?"

Hunter didn't answer. Shane didn't try to move closer.

"Wanna tell me what just happened?"

Hunter shook his head wordlessly.

"Look, if you're going to take off again I'm not going to bug you about it, alright? But maybe it's better if you talk it out."

"Don't wanna talk about it," he muttered, eyes still closed, "but I'm going to try not to run off again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Can't hurt you." Shit. He hadn't meant to say that. The next moment, though, he wasn't even sure if he had said it at all, because Shane didn't respond to that, only said: "Come on, talk to me. I'm not going to, dunno, make fun of you or anything. Let me in, man."

Hunter shook his head again, and then took half a step backwards as Shane tried to approach him. He couldn't have Shane standing this close, not when that dream was so close that Hunter could fall into it any second. "Don't," he said.

"Hunter…" the word was barely more than a whisper, but it held all the emotion that Shane's previous shout had. "God, you're making me feel so useless."

He didn't want to tell Shane about the dream. It was probably worse than having to dream it again. On the other hand, if he didn't tell Shane, he'd hurt him – more than Hunter knew he was capable of only a few moments ago; and with the dream so fresh in his mind, Hunter knew that he'd do almost anything to avoid hurting Shane.

"It's just a dream," he muttered, arms moving instinctively to wrap around his body. "It's just this dream…"

* * *

_Normally, Blake and he were evenly matched, but today Blake didn't stand a chance. He was unfocused, diffused, while Hunter's anger had given him an extra edge. It hadn't taken long before one of Hunter's blows went past Blake's virtually nonexistent defenses, and the navy Ranger was tossed head first against the rocks._

The Wind Rangers charged at him as if this was a cue they've been waiting for. Hunter laughed behind his helmet: the three Winds were slow, no match for the speed of a Thunder ninja. He actually had time to exchange his staff for his blaster before they finally were at him. The red and blue Rangers were slightly closer to each other than to yellow, and one shot sent them flying in the air, crashing down with their suits smoking. Hunter plucked yellow's sword right out of his hand. Shocked, the yellow Ranger took precious seconds before he made a move. Hunter sidestepped, and hit the base of yellow's skull with his hilt of his sword. He only had a second to appreciate the sight of yellow's blood staining the sand, before he noticed Blake getting up in his peripheral vision. One lazy shot took care of that, and then red and blue were at him again. He kicked red in the ribs and shot blue point blank, making her demorph and stumble back. He made sure to slash across her pretty face before running her through with her teammate's sword.

The shock was enough to put red on his feet again. Hunter discarded yellow's sword, and made full use of his staff as he landed one blow after another, dodging almost all of red's attacks, before he got bored of the game and directed one powerful, violent bolt of electricity through his staff directly to red's morpher. The staff amplified the energy of the bolt, and the non-Thunder proofed morpher exploded, the blast knocking Hunter back.

He got up just in time to meet his brother's wrath; not that Blake stood a chance. Normally he could control his emotions better than Hunter but today, Blake was out of focus and Hunter was past caring. It wasn't long before it was just Hunter, the sound of the waves on the island's shore, and the four bodies.

* * *

"…there are other dreams, too, but they come and go. This one keeps coming back, and it's the only one I can't wake myself from. The others I can wake myself from, but not this one: this one I always dream to the end." He'd stumbled over the words more than once, but he had managed to tell it all, somehow. He had no idea how he was still on his feet: the feeling of being tainted translated into a physical sensation, and he'd never felt so sick before.

He'd never faced this before, either: just tried to repress it as fast as he could.

Shane was still standing there. He hadn't stepped closer – perhaps sensing that it wasn't the right thing to do – but he hadn't stepped away. He didn't say anything condescending, either.

"I'm sorry. I'm…"

Hunter's head snapped up, eyes opening. "You're _sorry?_" he demanded. "I just told you that I've been repeatedly dreaming about murdering you and you say you're _sorry?_"

"What the hell were you expecting me to say? That I think you're a monster? Newsflash, Hunter, I'm not a jerk!" Shane's shout faded into the night without leaving echoes. Hunter just stared – and Shane stared right back. His arms dropped to the sides of his body. "You really thought I'd say that, didn't you," he said, and it wasn't a question. "You thought I'd judge you for this – for a nightmare that scares the hell out of you."

Hunter swallowed. Yes, that was the reaction he'd been expecting, even if not consciously. Instead, Shane seemed sympathetic – and hurt and disappointed that Hunter would think otherwise. For the first time in their months of knowing each other, Hunter realized that Shane really cared.

They started talking at the same time, both stopping after the first syllable.

"It's not…" Hunter turned aside. "It's…" He could hardly say it. He felt like he couldn't – but he had to. He owed Shane the truth – that much he understood, now. Whatever happened after Shane heard the whole thing – well, he'd deal with that in a few moments. "That's not why I… why I just snapped." He gulped some air. "It started changing, a couple of nights ago. This dream. It did it before, but the variations came and went – this one stuck. It starts the same – at that beach, with me under that spell, and Dustin… and then it changes."

* * *

_He only had a second to appreciate the sight of yellow's blood staining the sand, before red and blue were at him again. He shot both of them point blank, making them demorph and fall to the ground, barely conscious. He picked blue up by her collar and made sure to slash across her pretty face before running her through with her teammate's sword and dropping her body – and yellow's sword - in front of their leader's face._

He's heard Blake before he saw him – the fool shouted as he charged forward. It was almost too easy: Hunter's staff caught Blake under his chin, and then came down directly on Blake's wrist with a violent bolt of electricity that had made Blake cry in pain as he demorphed. Hunter let his face plate pull back, allowing Blake to see his smile of satisfaction: at this point he was aiming for pain, not just for killing. He hadn't even bothered to give his brother a personal death – a single shot turned Blake's body to cinders.

Then he turned around, demorphed and picked red up like a rug doll, pressing him up against a well-placed rock. Red's eyes blazed with defiance as he struggled to break free, but his attempt was futile: Hunter's arm was pressing against his windpipe, cutting his air supply – enough to make him weak and dizzy, preventing him from fighting at whatever strength he was still capable of, but not enough to make him lose consciousness. Shane was pressed between the sun-drenched rock and Hunter, struggling and losing, his defiance now tempered with fear. Hunter leaned closer, lips parted.

He couldn't say it. He couldn't spell out what would've happened in the dream if he hadn't managed to shake himself awake. He was fighting just to keep himself together, barely aware of the violent shaking of his body or Shane's softly-whispered "Damn." Then something touched his shoulder and he jerked back, hard, almost hitting Shane in the face before he caught himself. For a long second they only stared at each other.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

"It's just a dream, Hunter." But he didn't sound like he believed it. "It's not real."

"None of this is."

"What do you mean?" Shane's voice was sharp, short. He took a step towards Hunter, and Hunter didn't try to step back. With everything he'd just told Shane, the guy could make his own decisions.

"How do I know if any of this is real, Shane?" He sounded hysterical even to his own ears, but it wasn't like he cared about appearances right now. "You showing up in the middle of the night just to keep me company and being impossibly understanding about all this shit? I've had dreams before that were just like real life, where I thought I was awake and all that. This is all just too weird to be real."

"Hey." Shane pried Hunter's arms away from his torso, and Hunter hadn't realized how stiff he was until Shane forced him to straighten his arms. Then Shane touched his chin, tipping up Hunter's face. "How do I convince you I'm real?"

_Don't_, Hunter almost said. _Don't make this real_. He didn't want to share the nightmares; he didn't like having anyone see him at his most vulnerable. But if this was real – if Shane was truly there, and Hunter didn't have to face any of this alone – wasn't it worth exposing himself?

He shook his head. It was all purely hypothetical, anyway: he'd never been able to tell the more realistic dreams from reality until Blake all but shoved coffee under his nose.

"Come on." Shane's voice, soft as it was, was still urgent. "There has to be something."

Maybe he could think more clearly if Shane hadn't been standing so disturbingly close that Hunter could smell the hot chocolate on his breath.

He acted on instinct, not quite realizing what he was doing until after the fact: he could always hear the waves in his dreams, but he never smelled the ocean – he felt the weapons in his hands, but he never choked on the smoke. The dreams were perfectly real in all aspects but _one_, and Hunter's world narrowed to that one sense as he buried his face in Shane's neck, breathing him in. Shane was real, most definitely real, and the nauseating sense of surrealism was chased away by the scents of dust, soap and just Shane. He didn't fight it as Shane's arms closed around him, drawing him as close as possible. If Shane was surprised or shocked by Hunter's meltdown, it didn't show at all: he simply held Hunter, rubbing circles against his back, until Hunter murmured, "You're real," and pulled back just enough to make eye contact.

Shane hadn't been ready for this. He'd sensed the storm in Hunter, yes – it was part of what drew him in. He'd gotten glimpses of this raw force before, but Hunter had always been guarded, closed. That night, though, the walls were thin to begin with and had been breaking down since Shane tackled Hunter outside the apartment building; and when Hunter pulled back and made eye contact, Shane hadn't been prepared for the openness of his expression or the sheer impact of the jumble of emotions in his eyes. He acted on instinct.

Lips on lips, touch as soft as a whisper; he'd felt Hunter's intake of breath more than he'd heard it as Hunter opened to him without a prompt. It was everything Shane hadn't dared to dream of – intoxicating, pulling, overwhelming. He took everything Hunter had to give, and offered it back, the cold of the winter night chased away by the heat of the two of them pressed against one another. He hadn't realized what he'd done and what it meant until the kiss broke and he found himself staring into eyes that should've been clear blue, but their pupils were so wide that they appeared black. Frozen in place, he expected Hunter to hit him.

Seeing Hunter cry was more devastating than a blow would've been.

"God, I'm…"

Hunter shook his head. Shane shut up.

"Stupid dreams," said Hunter at last, his choked voice barely audible. "Get in the way of everything." The look he gave Shane was knowing to the point that it would've been disturbing, if Shane hadn't been shaken beyond that point by then. "You don't get it, do you?"

"I made you cry," said Shane. The tremble of his own voice made him pause for a moment. "What's there not to understand about it?"

Hunter may have snorted at him, but the sound was distorted. "You don't get it at all. This isn't what it's about."

Hunter wasn't making any sense; Shane told him that.

"It isn't a nightmare because it's _about_ you. It's a nightmare because I _hurt_ you."

Shane had almost repeated that Hunter wasn't making sense – and then it hit him what Hunter had actually said and he swallowed.

"I still made you cry," he said as silence stretched too long. "It's killing me."

Hunter shook his head again, but said nothing.

Heart hammering, Shane removed one arm from Hunter's back and brought his hand to Hunter's face, the thumb caressing the cheek in a futile attempt to wipe away the tears. He'd almost stopped breathing as Hunter's eyes closed at the touch. They weren't much more than a breath apart and Shane closed that distance, only touching and letting go, just to assure them both that this was real.

* * *

Later, much later, they were across the street from the building where Hunter lived. They had been standing there, holding hands and gazing at the darkened windows for quite a while, as neither of them seemed willing to move. Finally, Shane looked at Hunter, and found Hunter already looking at him.

"I could stay," he offered.

Hunter shook his head. "And when your parents wake up tomorrow morning?"

"Point."

"I wish we could stay right here," said Hunter. "I don't want… It's too small, in there."

"I'm afraid that's not an option, either. We're both going to be too tired tomorrow, anyhow."

"I've been doing this for months, Shane, and nobody noticed"

"Yeah, right," muttered Shane. He let go of Hunter's hand and pulled him close for a half-hug. "What do you think Cybercam was doing, monitoring you at night?"

Hunter turned, fully facing Shane. "You asked him to?"

"Duh."

Hunter shook his head. "Now I know how Blake feels when he complains about me being overprotective."

Shane snorted. "Dude, I'm so not _over_ protective of you."

They were silent again after that, until finally Hunter moved forward. Shane moved with him, making sure not to break contact as they crossed the street and came to another halt by the building's door. "Kiss you good night?" he offered.

Hunter's lips moved, forming the hint of a smile. Both of them leaned forward, meeting halfway.

Shane's eyes followed Hunter as he opened the door and into the darkened stairway, and he didn't look away until Hunter turned into the second flight of stairs and disappeared from view. Then he forced himself to turn away and crossed the street again, pausing at the very spot where he had stepped out of the shadows an hour and a half earlier. He stood there, not quite sure what he was waiting for, until he caught a movement, a shadow, in the window of Hunter and Blake's apartment. He raised his arm in a greeting, and thought he saw the shadowy figure do the same; and then it was gone.

Shane checked his watch: four in the morning. Twelve hours before they would see each other again. He looked up at the window again. _Sleep well, Hunter._


	5. Stars

_1. This chapter is set a few weeks after the previous one._

_2. **Love:** to Camille and Mara, friends and beta readers._

* * *

Something was wrong - Blake realized that within seconds of waking up. The question was, what? He lay still, breathing evenly, for a few moments, but his senses picked nothing unusual. Having decided that it was safe, Blake turned on his other side, and immediately saw what was wrong: Hunter's mattress was empty. The blanket was tossed aside, revealing the crumpled sheet – evidence that Hunter had slept there, but the mattress – and the apartment – was empty. Hunter wasn't there.

Blake sat up, shivering slightly as the blanket slid off of his body. The distance between the two mattresses was no more than a few steps. Blake crouched by Hunter's mattress and touched the sheet. Cold. So was the blanket, even where it still covered the sheet. Hunter had been gone for hours.

_Damn it, bro. What do you think you're doing?_ Blake didn't know, anymore. He had lost the ability to predict his brother months ago. He rose from his crouch and walked over to the window. The street was empty. A cold breeze blew in through the crack they had left open before going to sleep. Blake shivered again. He didn't like the cold. It brought back bad memories of staying up late on Lothor's ship, plotting revenge. He tried hard to leave that time behind him. He still remembered that day when he realized what he had almost become. Tori didn't know – he didn't have the heart to tell her. Hunter had been the one setting the pace, back when the brothers still thought that the Winds were their enemies, but the ideas were Blake's – the ideas to deceive and use Dustin, and then Tori. Blake remembered laughing at their gullibility and the cold satisfaction it brought. The coldness gradually faded after he and Hunter had joined with the Winds, until Blake could recognize himself again. Only then he realized that Hunter hadn't change – or rather, hadn't change _back_. He had remained detached, and when Blake tried to talk to him, to understand what went wrong, he found himself shut out. Hunter wouldn't admit to anything being not the way it had been. Yes, Hunter had always been wary and prone to brooding, but in Blake's memory Hunter had never been quite this guarded, or so moody – and he'd never purposefully shut Blake out before.

And now, this. Blake frowned into the night. Hunter seemed to have improved somewhat over the last couple of weeks, but this disappearing-into-the-night thing couldn't be a good sign. With a sigh, Blake turned away from the window. He didn't know how long a watch he would be facing.

--

The sound of a key turning in the lock made Blake straighten where he was sitting, on his mattress with his back against the wall. Hunter was back. He closed the door silently behind him, still unaware that his brother was awake. Then he turned – and halted.

"Hi," said Blake.

"Hi," answered Hunter carefully.

Pause.

"I just went out for a breather," said Hunter finally.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It was stuffy in here."

"I've been waiting for you for almost half an hour."

"I stretched my legs a bit."

"Your bed was already cold when I woke up, Hunter. You've been gone for hours."

Hunter stuffed his hands into the front pocket of the sweatshirt he was wearing. "So what if I have?"

There was something wrong about this picture, but Blake couldn't place it. "And you just lied about it, too."

"Yeah, 'cause it's not your business if I went out for a walk."

"It is, when it's 2 a.m. and you're acting like you've something to hide," snapped Blake. He got up and approached his brother where he was still standing by the door. "Hunter…"

Hunter turned and walked away, towards the kitchen, leaving Blake standing by the door. Again Blake was struck by the sense of something unusual, but still he couldn't put his finger on it. "I'm worried about you," he told his brother's back. "I freaked out when I woke up and you weren't here."

Hunter turned, facing his brother again. "S'okay," he said, "Guess I freaked a little too, finding you awake."

Blake hesitated. Hunter seemed sincere – from the small, seemingly unconscious shrug to the tone of his voice, but his eyes didn't hold Blake's for more than a second before sliding down, to where his hands were still stuffed in that pocket. Suddenly, Blake knew what was odd. "New sweatshirt?"

"What?"

Blake had thought it was just a new sweatshirt, albeit one he had never seen before and, with a hood, a front pocket and no print - a far cry from Hunter's usual style. Hunter's response, though, put Blake on high alert: the startled and defensive tone, the sudden tensing of Hunter's shoulders. Something was _up_ about this sweatshirt. Acting on instinct, Blake slapped the light switch. The sudden bright light made Hunter raise his arm, trying to shield his eyes. In the full light, Blake knew that he'd seen this sweatshirt – or its twin – before; Hunter just wasn't the one wearing it. "Is this Shane's sweatshirt?" Blake demanded. The answer was in Hunter's eyes. "Don't lie to me again, please."

"Wasn't going to."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I can't even tell if you really mean that."

"What do you mean?"

He had no doubts about this question's honesty, so Blake answered in kind. "You're shutting me out, Hunter. Sometimes I feel like…" Blake spread his arms helplessly. "Why?" he asked in a quieter tone.

Hunter shrugged. "I didn't want to burden you."

"We're brothers, Hunter. We're supposed to be there for each other." The reprimand didn't come as sharply as he intended, possibly because Blake was acutely aware that this was the closest to being let in that he'd been in months. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

For a few heartbeats, Blake thought Hunter was going to back down again. Then, abruptly, Hunter said: "Shane and me."

Blake waited, but Hunter didn't continue. "Shane and you, what?" he prompted. Hunter gave him a look that said Blake should've realized it by himself. "I'm not a mind reader, bro."

"You don't need to be," muttered Hunter.

Blake just waited.

"Shane and me," repeated Hunter. "What part of it aren't you getting?"

Okay. There was obviously something he wasn't getting here. Like, how did Hunter get Shane's sweatshirt in the middle of the night. From Shane - Hunter had as good as told him that; but what would Shane and Hunter be doing, meeting in secret at weird hours? Blake knew what it looked like, but – he paused. The way Hunter had said it suggested the same answer, as did the way he seemed to try and shrink into Shane's sweatshirt.

"Are you telling me that you and Shane are together?" asked Blake carefully. "Together as in, dating?"

"Yeah."

He hadn't been prepared for this. He knew he was being locked out, but – Blake took a deep breath. He hadn't been expecting something of this scale. "And you were going to tell me when?" he demanded.

"It's a bit of a new thing…"

"Not that!" snapped Blake. He knew he was almost shouting, but he didn't care too much about it. Hunter deserved to be startled a little. "Well, that too, but – what, you didn't trust me enough to tell me you're gay?" Blake took another deep breath, trying not to be too angered by Hunter's unreadable stare. "How long?"

Hunter shrugged.

"What, you don't know?"

"No, I don't, okay?" snapped Hunter.

"But before Shane?"

"Yes, Blake. Before Shane."

The caustic tone actually cut through Blake's indignant anger. He had obviously done something wrong here – quickly realizing how his question may have come across, he tried to soften his tone as he said: "I didn't mean it that way. Sorry." Hunter was still just glaring at him. Blake wanted to step towards his brother and physically shake him, but dared do neither. "How do you think it makes me feel, that you wouldn't trust me with something like…"

"It just never was an issue."

Blake bit back his retort. He wasn't trying to get into a fight here. "So, you and Shane?" he tried.

"Yeah."

"Since…?"

"Couple of weeks back."

The pieces fell together, now that Blake knew what the puzzle was. Or thought he knew – he had a sinking suspicion that Hunter was still keeping a stomachfull of secrets.

"I hurt you, didn't I."

Blake's head snapped up at Hunter's quiet words.

"I didn't mean to," continued Hunter, still a little awkwardly. "Sorry."

_You never listened when I tried to tell you this before_, thought Blake, but he didn't say it. Instead, he simply said: "It's okay." Carefully, he took one step forward, and then another, until he was standing in front of Hunter again. "Anything else I should know?"

"Don't think so."

"Good." He hated this – hated the feeling of having to tiptoe around Hunter.

"Hey."

He looked up at Hunter.

"Can you please not look so sad?"

Blake had to smile a little at that. "Sorry."

Hunter smiled back. It wasn't the lopsided smile Blake had gotten used to seeing lately, but a small, hesitant one that was more like the old smile he remembered. _Nothing's more constant than change._ Blake knew that, but somehow he had never truly realized it, before. "Red looks good on you," he admitted.

Hunter glanced down at the sweatshirt. "I totally forgot I was wearing it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I forgot a sweatshirt when I ran out, and it's a bit chilly outside with just a shirt. Shane wouldn't get off my back until I put it on."

"Well, at least I know he's good for you." And then he had to smile at Hunter's glare. "What?" asked Blake innocently.

The glare faded. "I'm too tired. Are we going to be talking much longer?"

"Not if you're going to fall asleep on your feet."

"Very funny, Blake."

They moved as they spoke – Hunter directly to his mattress, Blake to the light switch. Hunter was already under the covers, fast asleep, in the seconds it took Blake to switch off the lights and turn around. Moonlight fell from the window, highlighting just how vulnerable Hunter seemed when asleep. _Maybe that's reality_, thought Blake as he stood there, _and I just never realized it before._ Shane's sweatshirt was now lying on the floor, inches away from Hunter's pillow – and Hunter's face. Blake understood that – if he had anything of Tori's, he'd probably fall asleep hugging it like a teddy bear. _Well_, he thought as he slid under his blanket, _at least I know this family is going to get along fine, if we make it out alive. _And then he closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.


	6. Blood and Fire

_I know i've been gone for ages. I wrapped up my B.Sc. - still doing that, actually - and got called off to a war for a month and a week, so._

_1. This story is written for the Power Rangers Slash Write challange. You can find the rules for this challenge, and all fics written for it, at the Livejournal community prsw22. Link available on my profile page._

_2. This chapter is set in the night of "Shane's Karma"._

_3. **Love:** to my darling friends and beta readers, Camille and Mara; and to Navot, who should know why._

_Enjoy, and please review!_

* * *

Some days were too hectic even on the Rangers' scale. Blake had to all but drag his exhausted teammates to the Thetis. Standing by the bar of the beach club, soda in hand, Shane had to admit that Blake was right: they all needed proper unwinding.

Tori and Blake were on the outdoors dance floor, dancing together and, by the looks of it, having the time of their lives. Dustin was constantly moving – one moment dancing, another hitting on some girl, and then sitting indoors with Cam for a moment. Cam had claimed a table at the far end of the cooler café area, and sat there since they arrived, watching over Tori and Blake's drinks. He wasn't partying but didn't seem to be suffering, either; _and that's as much as can be expected when dragging Cam to a public, crowded place,_ concluded Shane. Yeah, everyone within Shane's line of sight seemed safe and relaxed – but it was the person not within sight for whom Shane was worried: Hunter had drifted away when Shane had gone for a soda, and Shane hadn't seen him since. It had only been a few minutes, but Shane was already restless. _Cam may hold the team's record of getting into trouble when left alone, but Hunter is a damn close second! Even with all those people around… _Shane paused. _All these people. Oh, shit._ It was easy to miss, with the way he had always seemed at ease at the track, but Hunter tended to react badly to crowded places and loud noises. This tendency intensified when Hunter was already tired or otherwise run down.

Something flickered at the edge of Shane's line of sight, like a tiny flame. Shane turned his head towards that signal, beyond the glass doors and the deck, to the darkened area of the beach. For a moment, he thought it had only been an illusion of his tired mind. Then, he saw the outline of a tall, muscular figure, standing right by the edge of the water: Hunter.

Shane counted his paces as he walked towards Hunter. Twenty paces – that was the distance between the edge of the deck, and the water lines; the distance between the lit dance floor, and the peaceful lapping of the waves. Hunter didn't move, didn't acknowledge the approaching presence, but Shane knew that Hunter has had to sense him. While it wasn't usual for Hunter to ignore him, it wasn't too unusual, either, and Shane figured that his boyfriend probably just wanted to get away from the crowd; that is until, at a five paces distance, Hunter turned away and began walking north, not once turning towards Shane or otherwise acknowledging his presence.

That was when Shane realized that something really was up.

Five paces was the distance between them when Hunter began moving, and five paces was the distance Shane kept as they walked away. Thetis was the north-most spot on Blue Bay Harbour's tourist stretch; the area north of it was wild and empty, dark except for the light of the stars and the newborn moon. There were no noises except for the waves and the sand under Hunter's and Shane's sandals, no movement except their darkened shadows. As moments passed by, Shane found himself looking sideways, searching for an attack or an ambush. He wasn't too worried so long as they remained on open, sandy beach, but after a ten minutes' walk the cliffs came into sight, and Shane's heart beat a little faster: the cliffs presented perfect ground for an ambush. What the hell was Hunter thinking?

Upping his pace slightly, Hunter stepped up the path into the cliffs and disappeared from Shane's view. Heart hammering, Shane followed him.

The rock formations interrupted the line of sight: Shane couldn't see Hunter. He followed the path until, after the third bend, the path widened to become a small clearing – and there was Hunter, facing Shane, waiting for him without a word. Their eyes met as Shane came closer, and then Shane realized what this was all about, and what would soon follow. He took a deep breath, and tried to ready himself.

The kick to the head was swift and brutal, and Shane had only just ducked in time – he had no doubt that Hunter had purposefully timed it that way. He tried to respond, but Hunter's fist had already connected with his abdomen, with Hunter's other leg following and hitting Shane behind the knees, sending him down to the ground. Shane managed to keep his head from hitting the rocks, but still he saw stars as his back was hit at several different spots at once.

When his vision cleared, Hunter was kneeling next to him, his face very close to Shane's. "Don't you ever do that again," growled Hunter. "Don't you ever worry me like that; if you will, then I swear by my parents' memory that I will break your bones for it. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good." Hunter straightened a little, and helped Shane to a sitting position. "You okay?"

"I'll live."

Hunter frowned. "Seriously."

"Nothing's broken or bruised too badly," Shane assured him. "But dude, you freaked me out."

"You're talking?" demanded Hunter. "After the disappearing act you pulled today?"

Shane raised his arms in surrender. "Sorry."

"Don't bullshit me," said Hunter, and then planted one of his hands on either side of Shane, and kissed him.

With the full weight of Hunter's torso pressed against him, Shane had to hug Hunter with both his hands just to not fall back. It was a weird position, but not a totally uncomfortable one, even if it left Shane feeling out of control. He clung to Hunter as Hunter kissed him as if he had no intention of ever letting go, and by the time it was over Shane was more lightheaded than just a kiss had ever made him feel. He didn't let go of Hunter, and was rewarded by a full embrace. Yeah, Hunter was in a touchy mood tonight.

"You didn't even talk to me before you left," complained Hunter into Shane's shoulder. "Just Tori. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

"Yeah."

"No," contradicted Hunter. "You'd do it the same all over again, wouldn't you?"

Shane paused, and thought back to the morning scene, as he stood with Tori by the car, explaining her that he just had to leave. Was Hunter right? Would he leave in such a hurry again, without thought or consideration? He thought back to the way he had felt – that physical sensation of danger, crawling under his skin in ways he'd never felt before, beckoning him away. "Yes," he admitted quietly, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Hunter. He pulled back his head so that he could look into Shane's eyes. "I understood, eventually. Whatever call that pulled you to Skyla this morning, it was stronger than you. I get that and I'm cool with that, so long as it doesn't happen again. What really bugs me is why."

Freefall: Shane had no idea how to answer Hunter's question. Just as he was about to say so, though, he saw something in the irises of Hunter's eyes: a flicker of flame, just like he had seen on the beach. _Huh? That flame had to be big, for me to see it, and this is just…_ Shane's right hand moved as if on its own accord, coming to rest next to Hunter's cheek. Hunter shivered, but didn't say a word. Shane watched, fascinated, as his thumb caressed a line across Hunter's cheekbone, leaving behind a trace of fire. He blinked. What was going on here? This fire he was seeing, it couldn't be real – and why did he feel so out of control –

The flame appeared in Hunter's irises again, stronger this time, and Shane leaned forward and initiated a kiss, his left arm pulling Hunter closer as his right arm traced Hunter's backbone. Hunter moaned into the kiss and shifted slightly, pressing them even closer together. They lost their balance and fell, legs entangled, Shane on top of Hunter.

Hunter opened his eyes and stared at Shane. "Wow," he whispered, voice hoarse. "You have fire in your eyes, you know that?"

"So do you," whispered Shane back. His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible, and Shane coughed a little.

"What's going on?" wondered Hunter, and Shane only shook his head. "No clue," he admitted. The trails of fire were now everywhere across Hunter's and his skin, glowing and flickering but not really moving. "This is crazy."

"Yeah," agreed Hunter. "Makes me feel weird when I look in your eyes, like I'm drowning. Feels good, though," he added, as Shane frowned. "Like a dream, only good; a two a.m. kind of feeling."

_The fire is within you, both of you_, whispered a voice in Shane's head. _What you see is only its outside manifestation._

Mentally, Shane reeled back. _Skyla?_

_We are forever connected_, admitted the voice in Shane's head, _but this is but a memory of me that you hear now. The fire is within you, my brother, and it has always been there. The only difference is that now you can see it – and what you can see, you can manipulate. Use this gift wisely, for it is the most dangerous of all that I had given to you._

Hunter was giving him a strange look. "I heard that," he said.

Shane blinked. "You did?"

"Yeah," said Hunter. "Does this mean that you see the fire everywhere, not just…?"

Shane shook his head. "No. Not everywhere. Just… everywhere you touch me. Everywhere I touch you." Suddenly, the meaning came clear to him. He leaned forward to kiss – but Hunter's forehead, and not his lips. The fiery mark burned for only a moment before absorbing into Hunter's skin; as it did, Hunter's eyes closed, his entire body relaxing under Shane's. A shiver ran through Shane's body as he realized the gift he was given. Skyla was dead serious, saying that this was more dangerous than the battlelizer.

"You're going to explain this to me?" asked Hunter, eyes still close.

"Feeling," whispered Shane. "Emotion; this is what the fire is. I can see it, when it's really strong."

Hunter opened his eyes. "What you just did, that was more than just seeing, wasn't it."

Shane nodded. "I'm going to be careful with that."

"You should. That's… that's strong. I don't think you realize how much."

"I do," said Shane simply. His heart hammered, but he had to say it. "It's only as strong as what I'm feeling."

Hunter's eyes widened.

They remained in that position for a while.

"Better head back," said Hunter finally. "The others might be worried."

"Nah," said Shane, but he still rolled over and allowed Hunter to get up. "They're too busy partying."

They walked back south hand in hand. Shane was constantly aware of the threads of fire around their joined hands, curling up their arms, but he said nothing.

At thirty paces from the deck, Hunter paused. Looking at his expression, Shane was painfully reminded of the final trigger to Hunter's outburst: the beach club, with its light, loud music and many people, was a hostile environment to Hunter. It was one of the last things he needed after the kind of day they've had.

"We don't have to go back," Shane offered.

"Dunno," said Hunter. "Wouldn't want to spoil your party."

"You won't," said Shane sincerely. "Really."

Hunter looked at him, his expression wary and guarded. "Tell me you wouldn't prefer to be there," he said, tilting his head. "That's where you belong, you know."

Shane shook his head. "I'm not going to enjoy the party if you're here on your own," he said simply.

Hunter's expression didn't change.

"We can dance here," suggested Shane after a moment. "How about that?"

"You're kidding."

"I'm serious. Why not?"

Hunter regarded him carefully. "I don't remember when was the last time I danced," he finally admitted.

"Then we definitely need to dance." His left hand still holding Hunter's hand, Shane offered his right hand, palm facing up. "Come on."

Hesitantly, Hunter smiled.


	7. Sunrise

_1._ _This story is written for the Power Rangers Slash Write challenge. You can find the rules for this challenge, and all fics written for it, at the Livejournal community prsw22. Link available on my profile page here on fanfic dot net._

_2. This chapter in the story is set in the night following the season finale. This is the last chapter of this story._

_3. **Love:** to my wonderful friends and beta readers, Camille and Mara. You are amazing, and you absolutely rock.

* * *

_

If someone had told him, that morning, that he would be having a white night, Shane would've probably laughed it off: losing a full night's sleep was not an option when one might be facing a battle at a moment's notice. If someone had told Shane, that morning, that Lothor would be gone before the sun set again, Shane would've certainly laughed it off. As it was, though, the Rangers had faced off against Lothor in a final combat that day, and they had won. Sensei Watanabe was human again; the stasis fields broke with the destruction of Lothor's ship, returning the kidnapped ninjas of both the Wind and Thunder schools, and even the buildings. Between the trials of the Action Games, and the tribulations of the final confrontation, that day felt more like a week.

It was late at night – Shane had no idea what the hour was, and felt no particular need to check his watch. Tori and Blake were god knows where – they disappeared hours ago, saying something about a stroll on the beach. It felt good, not having to worry for them, being able to quench the habit of keeping tabs on everyone's whereabouts. Cam was by the fire, tending to it. The flickering light made him look older, casting deep shadows across his face, but he smiled when Shane caught his eye, and the smile was warm and relieved: _we won_, Cam's smile seemed to say. _I have my dad back_. There were two nests of blankets, one on either side of the fire. Dustin and Marah were in one, asleep together and cuddled in more blankets then Shane could make out in the semi-darkness. To the other side of the fire was Kapri: asleep, in Earth clothes, she seemed strangely vulnerable to Shane. Then there was him, somewhat more distant from the fire, leaning against a rock with his legs stretched out in front of him; and next to him, lying with his head in Shane's lap, peacefully asleep, was Hunter.

Hunter's sleeping face was captivating to him. He'd never seen Hunter asleep, before: they had spent so many night hours together, but they never so much as gone to sleep in the same room. How many times had Shane wondered what it would be like? Shane had asked Hunter over, more than once, but Hunter had always declined. Shane accepted that – both because he didn't really have another choice, and because he knew Blake had never stayed over at Tori's, either. Then again, Shane was yet to come out to his parents. Perhaps now that the responsibility of a planet didn´t weigh on his shoulders anymore , and certainly not without Parker's help.

Those were thoughts for another time, though. Shane looked again at Hunter's peaceful face, at his own fingers weaving in and out of Hunter's hair. That was a miracle in its own right. Earlier that night everyone had been awake and by the fire, laughing and fooling around with s'mores. Shane had sat at a small distance from everyone else, wanting to take in the full view. Hunter was there in seconds: first sitting by Shane's side, and then he lay down and let Shane mess with his hair. After a while, when Tori and Blake had wandered off, Shane had wanted to ask Hunter something – and discovered that he was asleep.

That moment held a revelation for Shane. By the time he raised his head and noticed other people again, Marah and Dustin had already fallen asleep and Cam and Kapri were chatting quietly by the fire – a development that quite surprised Shane. He had no idea how much time had passed since then, or what the time was, and he didn't care. He was quite willing to let this night last forever.

He must have been absorbed in watching Hunter again, because he didn't notice the approaching figure until the shadow fell right before him. Shane raised his eyes, and saw Blake.

"Hi," said Blake after a moment. His expression was that of wry amusement, but he didn't say anything regarding Shane's lack of attention to his surroundings.

"Hi," replied Shane, not quite sure what to say. In the distance he could see Tori, standing by the line of water and gazing away from them, into the ocean.

"We took a walk by the water," said Blake unnecessarily.

"I noticed."

"Yeah, well." Blake's toe dug into the sand. "I wasn't sure what exactly you noticed and what not."

Apparently, Blake couldn't avoid being a smartass.

"He's never this peaceful, you know," said Blake suddenly.

"What?"

"Hunter," clarified Blake. "He's never this peaceful when asleep."

"Oh."

Pause.

"He hasn't been sleeping well lately."

"I know."

Blake gave Shane a sharp look, then sighed. "Probably better than I do, huh?" He seemed sad, and in a flash of insight Shane finally understood. "Probably knew before I did, too."

A moment passed in silence, and then another. Shane opened his mouth, but Blake was first to speak.

"I didn't get what was going on, you know? I mean, we were both having a hard time. By the time I got my head out of my own problems and started looking around, I couldn't get to him, anymore. He wouldn't let me in, and that drove me nuts. Never happened before, you see: we were always very close, after…" Blake looked away. "After our parents were killed." _Murdered_. The word hung in the air, though Shane had never heard either of the Bradley brothers say it aloud. "My brother was suffering and I couldn't help him. Do you have any idea how that feels?" Blake shook his head. Shane said nothing, just waited. After a moment, Blake continued.

"Then things started getting better, and then I found out about you two. By accident: but hey, at least things have been getting better since. We're even talking about stuff again." Blake's tone was that of feigned lightness, and Shane discovered that that was hurtful.

"Hey," he said. His sharp tone made Blake pause. "You're being too hard on yourself. Like, this finding out by accident stuff. He _could_ have avoided telling you that night, you know, but he told you anyway. The way I see it, that's not what 'by accident' means. If you would've walked in on us or something, and we had no way of getting out of it, then you would've found out by accident. But that's not how it happened."

Blake just looked at him. Shane wanted to say more, but he wasn't quite sure how to say it. He wanted to tell Blake, _Hunter didn't really shut you out, he just wanted to protect you_, but he knew that Blake would bristle and protest – and he couldn't fault Blake for that. So, he just waited.

"Thanks," said Blake quietly. "Y'know…" He shifted uncomfortably, then gazed behind his shoulder to where Tori was patiently waiting, ignoring the boys and gazing at the waves. "It's just that knowing those things doesn't really help, okay? It used to be just us, and now it isn't, and that takes getting used to."

"And there's everything else that has happened this past year. You can't ignore that, Blake."

"I'm not." Blake took his hands out of his pockets. "But those things take _time_."

"I know."

Blake looked at him strangely. "Yes," he said after a moment. "I guess you would."

Pause.

"He doesn't usually sleep quietly. Not lately, at any rate."

"I gathered."

Pause.

"I'm happy for you," said Blake suddenly. "I really am, you know? Because you're definitely good for Hunter, and that's good. And I don't mind you myself. I mean…" he added hastily.

"Yeah," said Shane with a slight smile. "I get you. I don't mind you myself, either."

"Good," said Blake firmly.

"Yes, good."

Shane almost told Blake of his revelation, in that moment. He'd been bursting with it for half the night, and he seriously needed to get it out. He didn't, though: Hunter would have to be the first to know.

Perhaps sensing what Shane had almost said, Blake's expression softened. Looking at the longing on his face, Shane realized yet again how deep Hunter and Blake went: deeper than most siblings did. The life they had had made them that way. _It shouldn't have been just the two of you_, Shane wanted to say: _it just wasn't healthy, you know what I mean?_

"Stop looking at me like that," said Blake suddenly. "I'm perfectly all right, okay?" Then he smiled and shook his head. "Great. Now I have two over-protective big brothers, not just the one."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Dude, when it comes to family, I say the more the merrier."

Blake's expression sobered. "Anyway…" He glanced at Tori again. "Tori and I are going to find a nice cliff to climb so we can see the sunrise from the top. Just thought we'd let you know before going."

Sunrise? Shane had no idea it was that late – or, actually, that early. He nodded. "Sure."

Blake almost turned away, but then hesitated, and turned back towards Shane. His expression was too complex for Shane to read in the faint light.

"Take good care of him, okay?"

Shane glanced down automatically at the sleeping Hunter. Then he looked up, made eye contact with Blake and said, as if it was the most obvious thing is the world: "Yeah."

Blake nodded once, and then turned and jogged off towards the water line. Tori, perhaps having heard his steps on the packed sand, turned around and smiled brilliantly at him. Shane watched as she practically threw herself at Blake, who somehow managed to catch her without falling though he was not much larger than her. The two exchanged a few sentences, and then Tori looked over at Shane, smiled and waved once. Shane waved back. Then she and Blake walked off.

Shane looked down at Hunter, wondering if he should wake him up. They'd never watched the sunrise together. It could be a neat, romantic something to do. Shane's hand hesitated over Hunter's shoulder.

He could smell it in the air, now, over the ocean's spray: the almost metallic scent that indicated that morning is near. He should've picked it up earlier, with his ninja senses, but he was too absorbed in something else.

He put his hand on Hunter's shoulder and shifted gingerly, hoping not to wake him. Hunter's sleep was sound, though. They'd watch sunrise together another day: today, this was more important. Carefully he bent down and kissed Hunter.

_I love you._

* * *

_Much love and thanks to the beta readers who helped make this story good - Roie, Mara and Camille. _

_Thanks and warm fuzzies to the readers/reviewers, who made writing this story an even more wonderful experience. You know who you are._

_As said, this is the last chapter of_ Two Sides of Midnight_. I have another Ninja Storm story, _Constellations_, which will probably go up in a short while. _Constellations_ is a season rewrite - quite the huge project - and it, too, will feature the relationship of Shane and Hunter. (Among many other plot lines, I assure you.) I'd love to see y'all there as well._

_Until then!_


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